Terminal board design



June 319%? J. R. ER, JR

TERMINAL BOARD DESIGN Filed May 7, .1965

United States Patent 3,325,774 TERMINAL BOARD DESIGN John R. Tucker, Jr., Roanoke, Va., assigrror to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed May 7, 1965, Ser. No. 454,051 2 Claims. (Cl. 339220) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to means for securing a terminal to a board. Counterbored openings are provided in the board, diametrically opposed slots being provided in the smaller diameter portion of each opening. A U-shaped terminal having a wiring tail parallel to the fingers, shoulders on the outer edges of the fingers adjacent the bight portion and a stepped portion on the inner edges thereof spaced above said shoulders thereby reducing the Width of said fingers, is disposed in each opening, the outer shoulders abutting the annular shoulder in the opening formed by the counterbore, the intermediate finger portions being disposed in the opposed slots and the free ends of the finger portions extending beyond the opening. A self-tapping screw is threaded into the inner edges of the fingers and the head thereof bends said free ends against the surface of the board surrounding the opening.

This invention is directed to an electrical connector and is specifically adapted for use on a terminal block.

A terminal block normally provides an interconnection between two terminating wires. One wire is normally permanently attached to the terminal block by welding, wire wrap, soldering, or the like. The other wire is semipermanently attached to the terminal block by a screw. Such terminal blocks usually consist of a plurality of pieces which are relatively expensive and difiicult to assemble. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a terminal block to provide an interconnection between two terminating wires. The terminal block according to this invention was designed with the object of easy assembly. It was a specific object of this invention to provide a new and improved terminal block having a small number of relatively inexpensive pieces.

A terminal block constructed according to this invention has a piece of plastic material with a hole in the face of the plastic piece. A terminal piece having a shank and a plurality of separated fingers is inserted into the hole in the plastic piece so that the tips of the separated fingers of the terminal piece extend beyond the face of the plastic piece. A screw is adapted to screw into the hole in the plastic piece so that the head of the screw bends the tips of the separated fingers of the terminal piece toward the face of the plastic piece. The screw may then be backed off to connect a wire terminal between the screw and the tips of the terminal piece. Another wire terminal may be connected to the shank of the terminal piece.

The invention is set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The principles and characteristics of the invention, as well as other objects and advantages are revealed and discussed through the medium of the illustrative embodiments appearing in the specification and drawing which follow.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 shows a portion of the terminal board and the terminal support.

FIGURE 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the assembly of one of the terminal points.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the terminal.

Terminal 11 shown in FIGURE 3 is made of 0.03 inch thick brass, electroplated with a thin layer of tin-nickel 3,325,774 Patented June 13, 1967 plate to provide corrosion resistance. The terminal is Y-shaped with the tail portion 13 designed to accept the usual wire connections by such means as wire-wrap, crimping, sleeves, solder, and the like.

The body of the terminal 11 is generally U-shaped with two fingers 9 and 10. The outside of each finger has a. shoulder 15 and 17 so that the lower portion of the terminal body is wider than the upper portion. The inside of fingers 9 and 10 start at the top with an opening width equal to the major thread diameter of self-threading screw 19 in FIGURE 2 so that the screw passes freely between tips 25 and 27 of fingers 9 and 10.

The inner portions 21 and 23 of fingers 9 and 10 narrows down to the minor thread diameter of terminal screw 19. During assembly the screw cuts its thread into the inner portion 21 and 23 of the fingers 9 and 10.

In FIGURE 1 there are a plurality of holes 33 in the insulating terminal support member 31. Insulating terminal support 31 is of a plastic material. The number of holes 33 is determined by the desired number of terminal points. Each hole 33 has two radially oriented slots 35 and 37.

The terminal board is recessed from the bottom by counter bore opening 39 with the center of opening 39 coinciding with the center of hole 33. The diameter of the counter bore 39 is slightly larger than the greatest width of terminal 11. The overall dimension of the two slots 35 and 37 across the center of hole 33 is equal to the width of terminal fingers 9 and 10, so that during assembly sides 28 and 29 of terminal 11 make contact with the ends of the slots.

To assemble the terminal, terminal 11 is inserted from the bottom of terminal support 31; fin'gers 9 and 10 are inserted into slots 35 and 37 so that the lower portion of terminal 11 enters into the counter bore 39. Shoulders 15 and 17 of terminal 11 engage the upper side of counter bore 39. At this point, fingers 9 and 10 protrude beyond the top of slots 35 and 37.

The self-threading screw 19 is then inserted between fingers 9 and 10 to pass freely between sides 25 and 27. The screw then engages the sides of hole 33 and the sides 21 and 23 of terminal 11. The diameter of hole 33 is the same width as the distance between the sides 21 and 23 of terminal 11.

Screw 19 cuts thread in both fingers 9 and 10 of terminal 11 and in hole 33 as it is screwed into hole 33. The head of screw 19 engages the tips of fingers 9 and 10 as it is screwed into hole 33. Slots 35 and 37 retain the lower portion of the fingers 9 and 10 in position to prevent them from spreading under the forcing action of screw 19. Terminal 11 is pulled upward as screw 19 tightens, forcing the shoulders 15 and 17 against the upper surface of counter bore 39 and bending fingers 9 and 10 against the top-face 41 of terminal support 31 to lock terminal 11 permanently into place.

The screw 19 may be backed off to attach a terminal lug under the screw and then the screw may be tightened against the lug. The upper tips 9 and 10 of terminal 11 make the electrical connection with the lug or wire. Wires may be connected to the tail of terminal 11 by wire Wrapping, soldering, welding, or other known means of connection.

Terminal support 31 has barriers 51 and 52 between adjacent terminals. A barrier 55 is located along the back of the terminal support to provide flashover protection between the terminals and the metal supporting the terminal board. Barrier 55 also provides space for numeral imprintings 57-59 to designate the terminal point number.

While the invention has been explained and described with the aid of particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereby and that many modifications retaining and utilizing the spirit thereof without departing essentially therefrom will occur to those skilled in the art in applying the invention to specific operating environments and conditions. It is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall Within the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A terminal block comprising, a block of plastic material having a first hole in a first face of said block of a first predetermined diameter and a second hole in the opposing face of said block concentric with the first hole of a second predetermined diameter larger than the diameter of the first hole, a terminal piece having a shank and a plurality of separated fingers, said terminal piece having shoulders on said shank wider than the diameter of the first hole of said block, said terminal piece inserted through said second hole of said block so that the shoulders of said terminal abut the intersection of the first and second holes of said block and the tips of the separated fingers of said terminal piece extending beyond the first face of said block, and a screw having a head adapted to screw into the first hole of said block so that the head of said screw engages and bends the tips of the separated fingers of said terminal piece toward the first face of said block.

2. A terminal block comprising, a block of plastic material having a first hole with radial slots in a first face of said block of a first predetermined diameter and a second hole in the opposing face concentric with the first hole of a second predetermined diameter larger than the diameter of the first hole, a terminal piece having a shank and a plurality of separated fingers, said terminal piece having shoulders on said shank wider than the radial slots of the first hole, said terminal piece inserted through said second hole into the radial slots of said first hole so that the shoulders of said terminal abut the intersection of the radial slots and the second hole of said block and the tips of the separated fingers of said terminal piece extend beyond the first face of said block, and a screw having a head and an inner screw diameter equal to the first hole of said block adapted to screw into the first hole of said block so that the head of said screw bends the tips of the separated fingers of said terminal toward the first face of said block.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,729,740 10/ 1929 Gaynor 339-214 2,440,876 5/ 1948 Rogers 3392l4 X 2,933,007 4/1960 Healy 339220 X 3,124,408 3/ 1964 Oestereicher 339-220 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner. 

1. A TERMINAL BLOCK COMPRISING, A BLOCK OF PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A FIRST HOLE IN A FIRST FACE AF SAID BLOCK OF A FIRST PREDETERMINED DIAMETER AND A SECOND HOLE IN THE OPPOSING FACE OF SAID BLOCK CONCENTRIC WITH THE FIRST HOLE OF A SECOND PREDETERMINED DIAMETER LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE FIRST HOLE, A TERMINAL PIECE HAVING A SHANK AND A PLURALITY OF SEPARATED FINGERS, SAID TERMINAL PIECE HAVING SHOULDERS ON SAID SHANK WIDER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE FIRST HOLE OF SAID BLOCK, SAID TERMINAL PIECE INSERTED THROUGH SAID SECOND HOLE OF SAID BLOCK SO THAT THE SHOULDERS OF SAID TERMINAL ABUT THE INTERSECTION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND HOLES OF SAID BLOCK AND THE TIPS OF THE SEPARATED FINGERS OF SAID TERMINAL PIECE EXTENDING BEYOND THE FIRST FACE OF SAID BLOCK, AND A SCREW HAVING A HEAD ADAPTED TO SCREW INTO THE FIRST HOLE OF SAID BLOCK SO THAT THE HEAD OF SAID SCREW ENGAGES AND BENDS THE TIPS OF THE SEPARATED FINGERS OF SAID TERMINAL PIECE TOWARD THE FIRST FACE OF SAID BLOCK. 